James Gurney

This daily weblog by Dinotopia creator James Gurney is for illustrators, plein-air painters, sketchers, comic artists, animators, art students, and writers. You'll find practical studio tips, insights into the making of the Dinotopia books, and first-hand reports from art schools and museums.

CG Art

Contact

or by email:gurneyjourney (at) gmail.comSorry, I can't give personal art advice or portfolio reviews. If you can, it's best to ask art questions in the blog comments.

Permissions

All images and text are copyright 2015 James Gurney and/or their respective owners. Dinotopia is a registered trademark of James Gurney. For use of text or images in traditional print media or for any commercial licensing rights, please email me for permission.

However, you can quote images or text without asking permission on your educational or non-commercial blog, website, or Facebook page as long as you give me credit and provide a link back. Students and teachers can also quote images or text for their non-commercial school activity. It's also OK to do an artistic copy of my paintings as a study exercise without asking permission.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

M.C. Escher’s lithograph "Three Worlds" is a good illustration of the behavior of light on a smooth water surface.

At the far end of the pond, the water approaches the reflectivity of a perfect mirror because we’re looking straight across it at a very shallow angle. At shallow angles, most of the light bounces off the water (reflection) rather than angling down into it (refraction.)

At steep angles of view, the opposite happens: we see less reflection and more refraction. Therefore the water is dark and we see the fish more than the sky or the trees.

6 comments:

I've noticed the same thing with the edges, shoulders and necks of glass bottles and jars. I've always been taken by Escher beginning in 1970 when I saw his originals and prints at a gallery in San Francisco. I don't know if the gallery is still there. It was like a loft apartment that had enough upper floor and wall space to display them. Wonderful art. I think I have all of his books, bar none. I don't have yours, yet!

The Vorpal Gallery, I think it was called. I went there as a twelve year old or so, and it had a powerful effect on me. There was also a gallery (Alma Gilbert) that had Maxfield Parrishes. I think if an art-receptive kid sees a few good things, it can shape their whole life.

Very true. I remember that I picked up a copy of Turgenev's Sportsman's Sketches from my father's bookshelf as an early teenager mainly because I was struck by a tiny, poor reproduction of a beautiful painting on the sleeve. Only much later I'd find out it was Levitan's Golden Autumn.

THREE WORLDS is one of my favorite Escher prints. And speaking of three, it has 3 prime elements that make great art: a great concept, technical mastery, and charisma. The idea behind it is beautifully subtle, many people might not "get it" if not for the title.

I ate Escher's stuff up like I was starving when I was in high school. Studying his work helped polish my draftsmanship and yes - gave really good insight into reflective surfaces...he uses them everywhere.